Mr. Speaker, physicians and other scientists in Canada are very concerned about the government's proposed legislation, Bill C-7.
Criminal law must be very clear and concise because of the serious penalties for breaking the law. However, this legislation is vague and broad. Through provisions for as yet unnamed substances to be added to the schedule of controlled drugs, health professionals dealing with innovative active chemical ingredients may be liable to serious legal penalties which are not clarified in the act.
Furthermore, by intertwining criminal law with regulatory law, regulatory inspectors effectively acquire criminal search and seizure powers.
Physicians and other scientists support attempts to better control the non-medical use of drugs. I call on the government to put forward serious amendments to Bill C-7. We must ensure that physicians are not hamstrung by bad legislation in their attempts to provide quality health care to Canadians.